The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Air is drawn into an engine through an intake manifold. A throttle valve controls airflow into the engine. The air mixes with fuel provided by one or more fuel injectors to form an air/fuel mixture. The air/fuel mixture is combusted within one or more cylinders of the engine. In diesel engine systems, combustion is initiated by injection of the fuel into the cylinders. More specifically, heat provided by compression ignites injected fuel.
Combustion of the air/fuel mixture produces drive torque. More specifically, drive torque is generated through heat release and expansion that occurs during combustion of the air/fuel mixture within the cylinders. Torque is transferred by a crankshaft of the engine through a driveline (not shown) to one or more wheels to propel a vehicle. Exhaust gas is expelled from the cylinders to an exhaust system.
An engine control module (ECM) controls the torque output of the engine based on a desired torque. The desired torque may be based on driver inputs, such as accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, cruise control inputs, and/or other suitable driver inputs. The desired torque may also be based on torque requested by other vehicle systems, such as a transmission control system, a hybrid control system, and/or a chassis control system. The ECM controls the torque output of the engine by adjusting various engine operating parameters, such as airflow into the engine, the amount of fuel injected, and the timing of the fuel injection.